


for the sake of sparkles

by rhapsodyinpink



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Day 1: Stranded, F/M, Gen, Kallura Week 2017, and keith has no chill, in which allura is an actual magpie, the loosest possible interpretation of this prompt ever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-02-17
Packaged: 2018-09-25 02:24:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9798308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhapsodyinpink/pseuds/rhapsodyinpink
Summary: Of all things Allura expected to happen today, getting stranded in the pod bay of a space mall with Keith was definitely not on the list. Neither was breaking into the mall with him and Pidge to steal a necklace.But hey, things can change real quickly when you're bored as hell.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I probably shouldn't be posting a story close to midnight on a Thursday night, but here I am, lol. This is my first story for this pairing, and as you will see, it's not actually romantic at all! It's more of a gen fic featuring Pidge the Magnificent, but there are sparks— because I like these two a lot. 
> 
> What really intrigues me about the dynamic between Keith and Allura are the impulses they bring out in each other, and when I saw the prompt "Stranded" for Day 1 of Kallura Week, I'm not entirely sure why, but this is where my mind went! It's silly and fun and I hope you enjoy— and I'd love to see your comments at the end. Thanks for reading!

Of all things Allura expected to happen today, getting stranded in the pod bay of a space mall was definitely not on the list.

To be fair, she shouldn’t even be here. As per usual, Coran had expressly forbidden her from leaving the castle while the paladins went off on another space mall expedition with him, leaving her with no one but the mice for company.  

She knew they would be back soon.

But damnit, she was bored as hell.

The plan was to sneak into a spare pod and fly to the space mall, pop into the jewelry store with the adorable sparkly necklaces she really wanted, pick one out, and make it back before anyone but the mice knew she had even left the castle.

The whole thing should have been smooth sailing- and indeed, it started out just fine. Allura told the mice she would be back soon and picked the most nondescript pod in the fleet, and made her way to the mall without incident.

What Allura didn’t account for in the plan was this: the fact that the mall actually had closing hours, and that said hours started right as she parked her pod and stepped onto the walkway to head inside.

In retrospect, Allura realizes that she should have noticed all the signs— the fact that there were almost no other pods in the bay and the fact that nearly half the lights in the store windows were closed when she was pulling up to the station, but she was so fixated on getting that necklace that she noticed less than she might have otherwise.

So it’s not until a little robot flies along the perimeter and locks down the bay, preventing anyone from either entering or exiting, that Allura realizes that she’s shit out of luck and that she’s going to have to get back inside her pod and radio Coran for help.

This isn’t exactly how she planned the day would go.

Allura sighs as she paces back and forth on the walkway, looking down as she tries to figure out what exactly to say to Coran and the others when she reaches out to them.

Completely lost in her thoughts, Allura doesn’t even hear the footsteps coming towards her until she walks right into the person in front of her.  

“I beg your pardon, I didn’t even see you were there!” she cries, launching into an apology without even looking to see who’s standing there.

And then she notices, in this exact order: the distinctive red and white jacket, the tight black shirt, and the moody expression framed by the unmistakable mullet belonging to none other than the Red Paladin himself.

“Princess?” Keith asks, raising a confused eyebrow. “What...are you doing here?”

Allura straightens. “Well, I came here on a special mission.”

“Does Coran know about this mission?”    

“It’s classified.”

“So…no then.”

“Well, what are _you_ doing here?” retorts Allura, standing arms akimbo. “Shouldn’t you be with the others?”

Keith shakes his head. “No. Everyone else is already on their way back to the castle.”

“I don’t understand,” replies Allura. “Why would they leave without you?”

I had to get my jacket,” says Keith. “I let Pidge borrow it because she was cold, but she accidentally left it on a bench.”

“I see.”

“It wasn’t there when I went back to the bench, so I had to go to the Lost and Found to pick it up. There was a long line, so I told them to just go ahead and head back without me.”

“But even with a long line, surely it couldn’t have taken that much time to retrieve your jacket?”

Keith suddenly looks mildly uncomfortable. “The girl at the counter wouldn’t stop talking to me.”

Allura smiles as she imagines the scene. Keith is far more attractive than he realizes, and she has often observed the attention he attracts from aliens of all stripes, to limited success.

“You know, she probably thought you were cute,” she comments, a smile dancing on her lips. “Perhaps she was trying to flirt with you.”

Keith shrugs. “I guess so. Anyway, I think we need to contact the others before we’re stuck here all night. Pidge can hack into the server and configure the robots to re-open the bay for us. I'll reach out to her now.”

Allura sighs. “I don't know what to say to Coran. He won't be happy about this.”

“Princess, is there something wrong? If there’s something you need help with, you know we’re all here. You don’t need to do any of this alone.”  

“No, Keith—it’s nothing like that. Honestly, it’s very silly. When Pidge was doing research on the shops in the mall, I noticed that there was a jewelry store on this level, selling sparkly necklaces. I really wanted to buy one.”

Keith stares at her. “You snuck out of the castle just so you could get a necklace?”

“I know it’s sounds ridiculous,” says Allura as she looks away, fiddling with her fingers. “But you see, it is very similar to one I used to have as a child.”

“I guess...I’m just surprised. You're usually not that reckless. Why didn’t you just ask one of us?

“I didn’t want to distract any of you from your mission, so I decided to make the trip myself. You see, as my guardian, Coran has my best interests at heart, and part of his duty— and promise to my father— was to make sure I was always safe. But because of this, he's a little…”

“Overprotective?”

Allura smiles. “Yes, exactly. It's rather stifling at times, and it makes me want to, well, _rebel_ every so often. Really, if I had gotten here just a little earlier, everything would have been fine and I would have returned to the castle before any of you even realized I was gone.”

“So, the princess leading an actual rebellion against the Galra Empire wants to rebel against her own guardian?”

“Ironic, I know. But I believe you understand my need for freedom. Shiro has told me that you’ve always struggled against strict authority.”

“Well, sometimes rules don’t make sense.”

“Exactly.”

Keith nods, appearing to come to a decision as he considers this information.

“Right. So we’re gonna get you that necklace right now.”

“But the mall is closed.”

“Doesn't matter.”

“You're not suggesting that we steal it, are you?”

Keith nods at the bag slung over her shoulder. “Of course not. You brought money with you, right? We’ll just leave it on the counter.”

“I did, but perhaps it would be better to wait until tomorrow, when the mall reopens.”

“Coran already told us you didn't want to stay here too long, so he wants to prepare the teludav for an early departure. And anyway, we’re already here, and since Pidge is going to help us get out of the bay, she can help us get back inside the mall, too.”

“You’re going to involve Pidge in our theft?”

“Do you want your necklace or not?”

Allura can feel the tips of her ears turning red. The right thing to do is to say no.

But she’s come this far already. It would be a shame to turn back now.

“Yes. I do.”

“Okay then. Let’s go.”

Allura watches with trepidation as Keith contacts Pidge through his comm and puts her on speaker.

“Pidge, are you there? It’s Keith.”

“Hey Keith. Are you on your way back? All of us are almost back at the castle.”

“No, I’m still at the mall. I didn’t get out before the bay closed. Can you come back and get us? We need you to hack into the system and get the robots to reopen the hatch.”

“Sure, I can come back.  But who’s ‘we’? Coran was in Shiro’s pod, wasn’t he?”

Allura closes her eyes as Keith hesitates.

“Um, Princess Allura and me.”

“What? Has she been with you the whole time?”

“Uh, no.”

Allura cuts in. “It’s a rather long story, Pidge. We’ll share it with you later.”

Pidge’s voice turns mischievous. “A long story, huh? You sure you want me to interrupt? I don’t want to get in the way.”  

Allura can feel her cheeks flush as Keith turns to look at her and rolls his eyes.

“Positive. Actually, the Princess need your help on a little mission. We can’t do it without you.”

“What kind of secret mission could she possibly have at a space mall after it’s already closed?”

Allura grins and leans in. “Sorry Pidge, we can’t tell you until you get here.”

“I’m not gonna lie, that sounds kind of sketchy.”

“Come on, Pidge. When has that ever stopped you?” says Keith, cracking a faint smile.

He jumps as Pidge cackles into his ear.

“Oh damn, Hunk was right! Galra Keith’s got jokes!”

Allura giggles as Keith scowls. “Don’t call me that!”

“Chill. I’ll be there in a few. Hold tight.”

As promised, Pidge soon shows up, and she quickly hacks into the system and configures the bots inside to re-open the entrance to the bay before entering and parking her pod next to Allura’s.

She hops out of the pod, eyes lit up with curious anticipation.

“Ok, guys, so what’s this secret mission? How long is it going to take?”

Allura and Keith exchange glances. Keith steps forward.

“It depends on how fast the three of us can work, but here’s the deal. Allura wants to get a necklace from a store on this floor. We need to get back inside the mall, get past the security barriers to the store, get the necklace, and come back out. I’ve got the stealth and the knife to break the locks, Allura has the money, and you’ve got the hacking skills to disable the security systems and get us inside.”

“Princess Allura is going to break the rules for a sparkly necklace? This I’ve gotta see,” replies Pidge, her expression turning positively gleeful.

Allura pouts. “You act like I always follow the rules, Pidge. I can break them every now and then! I know how to have fun. I’m not always serious, you know.”

“That’s the spirit!” shouts Pidge, pumping her fist up high before producing a tablet out of thin air. “Breaking rules for the sake of sparkles. I’m on board.”

“Okay, so I’ve just got to pick up the signal to the server here...bypass this firewall...wow, this program is really outdated, they really need to improve their security, this is terrible coding. Anyway...just need to disable a few things here, and— the doors should be opening right about _now_.”

Keith and Allura look up in unison to watch the mall doors slide open.

“Whoohoo!” cheers Pidge, grinning broadly as they walk through the doors. “These old fingers have still got it.”

Allura raises an eyebrow. “Pidge, aren’t you the youngest paladin?”

“Actually, that would be Shiro. If we’re strictly talking in the most technical sense of age and birthdays. Not that any of that matters out here in space, especially considering the Altean measurements for time.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

Keith waves his arm dismissively. “It’s not important. We should focus on getting your necklace and getting out of here. Which way is the store?”

“According to the map I saw before, it should be down the next hallway,” says Allura. “Zinthu is a tiny little boutique— I don’t expect them to have extensive security. Then again, this mall is owned by the Galra. For all we know there are biologically activated codes blocking the entrance that even Pidge won't be able to break through.”

“That’s not a problem,” says Keith as he checks to make sure to make sure the area is clear of security bots before swiftly moving down the hallway and stopping at the entrance to the store. “You know I can get through those.”

Allura follows closely, Pidge right behind her. “Yes, I know, but if the sensors recognize that you are not a registered member of the system, it could be a problem.”

Keith stops and inclines his head at Pidge. “I don’t think we need to be worried about that. She knows what she’s doing.”

Pidge snorts. “Well, yeah, I do, but I’m not a magician. There could be some crazy-tight security in this place. Princess Allura’s right. We should be careful and have a backup plan.”

“Do you really think a jewelry store is going to have that kind of security?” asks Keith, frowning.

Pidge turns and blinks slowly at Keith. “Zinthu is a jewelry store. Of course it’s going to have a lot of security. They’d be selling the space equivalent of diamonds and platinum in there. Isn’t that right, Princess?”

Allura nods. “Necklaces made of Tiamantian and Zasilvia crystals were fairly common when I was young, but ten thousand years is a long time. They may be quite rare now. Still, when I looked on the Zinthu website, they seemed to have quite a few necklaces that looked just like the one I used to own.”

She presses her face against the store window and looks inside, squinting into the dimly lit interior. “I think I can see the one I was looking for in the corner over there, near the register.”

“Got it,” says Pidge, including the information into her tablet. “Tiamantian and Zasilvia crystals. That’s super cool. Keith, now you know what to get Princess Allura for her birthday! Matching earrings to go along with the necklace we’re stealing.”

Allura waves her arms. “Pidge, we’re not _stealing_ , we are paying for it! In an unconventional way, to be sure, but we are not simply taking a necklace without leaving the proper compensation.”

“Whatever you say, Princess,” Pidge replies, shrugging.

Keith cuts in. “Pidge, if you really think that there’s tight security in this store, we should scan their system to see what kind of barriers they have enabled.”

Allura nods. “Keith is right. We need to know if there’s more than just this padlock blocking us from getting in.”

“On it!” replies Pidge. She pulls out her tablet and scanning device and aims it at the store. Her eyes widen as data fills the screen.

“Guys...you'll never believe this.”

“What? What is it?” asks Allura.

“They don't have any special security features at all. Just this keycode lock. If you wait a few ticks, my program can figure out the passcode.”

Allura furrows her eyebrows. “That’s odd. Are you sure there aren't any stealth sensors enabled?”

“Positive,” replies Pidge, shaking her head. “My scanners checked everything.”

Keith says nothing. Instead, he walks over to the door and shoves his knife into the lock, breaking it in half. He strides into the store as it swings open, heading straight for the necklace counter.

“Well, that's one way to pick a lock,” Pidge comments drily.

Keith stops at the counter and turns to look at Allura, who is still standing at the entrance, staring at the broken lock with dismay.  

“You coming in?”

Allura turns to look at Pidge, who shrugs. “Your necklace awaits, my princess,” she says with a droll grin, bowing ever so slightly.  

Allura laughs despite herself and walks inside. The pink Tiamantian crystals sparkle even in the darkness, and her heart swells as her gaze falls upon a necklace in the middle of the display, with a beautiful pendant in the shape of a mountain juniberry. She picks it up and runs her fingers along the edges. It’s smooth and cool to the touch, fitting perfectly in the palm of her hands.

She can’t remember the last time she wanted something so much.

Allura doesn’t even realize she’s holding her breath until Keith taps her shoulder and she remembers to exhale.

“Is everything okay?” he asks, looking at her with concern. “This is what you were looking for, right?”

She nods. “Yes— it’s perfect.”

“Try it on!” calls Pidge from the door.

“Alright,” says Allura, fastening it around her neck. It doesn’t look quite right against the fabric of her space suit, but Pidge still wolf-whistles and cheers, and she can’t help but smile.

She turns to Keith. “What do you think? How do I look? Was it a good choice?”

“You look nice,” he replies, his lips curving up into the slightest of smiles. 

Perhaps it’s just be a trick of the light, but Allura swears she notices a light dusting of pink on his cheeks as she twirls around the store, feeling giddy.  

But she’s probably just imagining things.

“Did you want to get anything else?” he asks.

Allura shakes her head. “No. The necklace is all I wanted. But Keith—”

Keith’s eyes widen with concern. “Yes?”

“Thank you for bringing me here,” she says, wrapping him in a quick embrace. “It really means a lot to me.”

She lets go and turns her gaze to the younger paladin. “And you too, Pidge. I couldn’t have gotten this far without you either."

“That’s what we’re here for!” replies Pidge with a grin. “Fighting evil, stealing necklaces, whatever you need. Speaking of which...you probably need to get back soon. I’m pretty sure Coran’s already noticed you’re gone.”

Allura turns pale. “You’re right. I’m sure he’s quite concerned. I shouldn’t have left without telling him where I was going.”

“You know, I could just tell him you went off alone with Keith. He can fill in the blanks on his own, and he doesn’t even have to know you came here. I’d say it’s a win-win,” says Pidge, her expression turning roguish.

" _Pidge!_ ” cries Allura, blushing. “I don’t want to put Keith in that kind of position—”

Keith shrugs. “I don’t mind. Coran doesn’t need to know everything about what you’re doing. It’s your business.”

“Are—are you sure?” Allura asks, unsure. “There may be many questions from the other paladins. I don’t want to put you into an awkward situation that makes you uncomfortable.”

Keith shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just get back to the castle and figure it out later.”

“All right then,” says Allura. “If you truly don’t mind— that may be the best solution.”

They leave the money for the necklace on the counter next to the register along with the broken lock, and head back to the pods.

So preoccupied are they on getting back to the pods as soon as possible that neither notices Pidge sneaking into the store for a second to leave behind something of her own on the counter, next to the money and the lock— a note that reads:

_Sorry about the lock!  My girlfriend really wanted the necklace. Keep the change!_

It’s just as well; for as soon as Coran hears about their "secret rendezvous", word quickly spreads to the other paladins, and Allura and Keith both find themselves besieged by an endless stream of questions from Lance, who wants to know every detail, and advice from Shiro, who wants to make sure that she and Keith are on the same page and 'being safe and communicative', as nobody wants a repeat of the two of them sneaking out in the middle of the night.

Still, despite everything, Allura notices that Keith seems to take everything in stride, for which she is grateful. She's not sure what it means that their relationship has shifted, whether it means anything at all, or if it's simply that he cares more about helping her rebel against the constraints and expectations placed upon her as a princess and a leader, but perhaps it doesn't matter.

When she looks back on it, it all seems so ridiculous— breaking into a space mall simply for the sake of a sparkly necklace that mildly resembles a relic from the distant past. But something about it still feels meaningful and right.

And whenever Allura puts the necklace on, for whatever reason, she always remembers Keith's smile when she wore it for the first time: a clouded little half moon, veiled, but bright.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> come scream at me about all things kallura, klance, and pidgey pie at [stardusted](http://stardusted.tumblr.com) on tumblr.


End file.
